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Hi there. This is Harry, and welcome  back to my Advanced English Lessons,  

where I try to give you a better  understanding of the English language.

Okay. Well, in this particular lesson  we're going to look at advanced English  

expressions and phrases, useful phrases  for giving advice. Everybody that I know,  

most people like to give advice. Not a lot of  people like to get advice or to accept advice,  

and often if they get it,  they don't always take it.

Okay, but this is useful phrases for giving  advice. Now really, really important to remember  

that the word advice is uncountable. It's not  advices, it's never advices. You give advice,  

you give a piece of advice. You can give  several pieces of advice. You can give some  

advice. The first piece of advice I will  give you. But it's not never ever advices.

Okay, so it's uncountable. So we're going to go  through different expressions and phrases that are  

useful to use when giving advice. Most importantly  is what comes after it, how we follow it,  

whether we follow it with infinitive or whether  we follow it with the simple -ing. And I'll give  

you some examples. Okay? So first thing we  want to look at is the giving of advice.

So if I were in your shoes. So here's a  very classic useful way to give advice.  

If I were in your shoes means if  I was in the same position as you.  

Now here we say if I were now somebody is going  to ask me, why are you saying I were instead  

of I was? When we use conditional tenses,  like if we usually replace was with were.

And that's why we use it. So if I were in your  shoes. Yeah. Yeah. Or if I were you. Okay. So  

either those will do. So to give advice. If I were  in your shoes or if I were you, I'd. Or I would go  

to the doctor immediately. You don't look well.  Okay. So if I were you, I would go to the doctor.

What's he going to do? He's just going to examine  you and it'll tell you whether there is something  

or there isn't something wrong with you. But  if you stay at home worrying all the time,  

you'll be a nervous wreck. So if  I were you, I'd do this. I would  

do that. Okay. Have you ever thought  of going in for veterinary services?

Yeah. To become a vet. Have you ever thought  

of becoming a vet? Okay, so when we use this,  have you ever thought we're giving advice and  

we follow it with the -ing? Have you ever thought  of becoming. Have you ever thought of training  

to be okay now? When you have a preposition - so  here we have thought of have you ever thought of -

it's usually followed by -ing. Have you ever  thought of becoming? Have you ever thought  

of training to be okay? So it's usually  followed with -ing. So piece of advice,  

have you ever thought of or have you  ever thought about next? Have you ever  

considered? And again, when we use this  it's we usually follow it with the -ing.

Have you ever considered retraining? Have  you ever considered travelling abroad?  

Have you ever considered what your father is  going to think about it? If you give up your  

university course? So have you ever considered  so it's not always the-ing. So have you ever  

considered travelling so the -ing. Have you  ever considered what your father would do?

It's not the -ing. If I had that problem, I  would go and seek professional advice. If I  

had that problem, I would probably  talk to a friend. If I had that  

problem, I would something, okay,  I would go, I would probably go,  

I would talk. And when you use that, I would,  it's followed by the bare format of the verb.

I would go, I would talk, I would seek. Okay.  So if I had that problem I would do something.  

Okay. Have you ever tried teaching? Have you  ever tried talking to somebody? Have you ever  

tried explaining to them exactly what you  want? So if you're giving somebody advice  

and they can't understand, or they don't  seem to be able to get through to somebody,  

well, you might give advice like, have  you ever tried talking to him about it?

Have you ever tried discussing it face to  face. Yeah. So if somebody has a particular  

problem with their boss. But again, here  you're looking at the ING. Have you ever  

tried talking? Have you ever tried listening.  Have you ever tried discussing? Okay, I n g,  

how about reading a few books before  your exam? How about studying a bit?

So you're trying to get your kids to do something  in advance of the important school exams coming  

up? Then the advice might be, how about putting  your head down for a few hours every night? How  

about knuckling down to some hard study? How  about doing some extra training if somebody  

wants to get fit or they want to lose weight,  how about coming with me to the gym next week?

Okay, so a bit of advice, but again  I Angie, next piece of advice,  

why don't you why don't you go to  the hospital? If you're worried,  

why don't you go to the hospital? Why  don't you hand in your notice? There are  

plenty of jobs. You've got lots of skills you  could do. Why put up with all of that crap?

Why don't you look for another job? Okay? Why  don't you stop moaning and do something about  

it? Okay, so again here, why don't you? And  then followed with the barber. Why don't you  

stop? Why don't you go? Why don't you  consider. Why don't you think? Okay,  

I think it would be a good idea to call the  plumber. You don't really know what you're doing.

If you keep twisting that, it's going  to break and there's going to be water  

everywhere. So I think it would be  a good idea to call the plumber. I  

think it would be a good idea to  call the electrician. You don't  

know anything about electricity. What  happens if you get an electric shock?

Okay, so I think it would be a good idea to attach  the infinitive. The sooner you do this work,  

the better for everybody. Okay? The  sooner you get down to a bit of study,  

the better you would feel. The sooner you  get another job, the better I would feel.  

Because I'm sick and tired of hearing  you moan. Yeah, so a bit of real advice.

The sooner you do something, the better it  will be. The sooner you go to the doctor,  

the better you will feel. The  sooner you book a holiday,  

the better I will feel. Because I'm sick of  this terrible weather. And then another final  

bit of advice. You have no choice but to go  to the police and tell them what you know.

You have no choice but to tell your boss that  you just can't work those long hours anymore.  

You have no choice but to try and get another  extension on your course. Otherwise you're  

going to have to drop out of university. So all  useful expressions as to how to give advice and  

remember when we're using them, where and when  we use the English or we use the infinitive.

Okay. Now if somebody wants to respond to the  advice that you have given, so in a positive way,  

because you can respond negatively as  well. So responding positively. Oh yeah,  

that's a thought or that's an idea. So you  know, if somebody gives you a bit of advice  

and that perhaps it's not something you had  considered. Oh yeah. That's a thought meaning.

Why didn't I think of that. Oh,  that's an idea or that's that,  

that's it. That's actually a good idea. Yeah.  I think I'll take you up on that or. Yeah,  

I think I'll give it a go. You know, going  to the gym. Why don't you come with me to the  

gym? Yeah. I've been thinking about  an I need somebody to buddy up with.

You have somebody to go with? Yeah, I think  I'll give it a go or I'll give it a try. So,  

look, if you don't like it, nothing ventured,  

nothing gained. But you might enjoy it. I'll  go with you and then you can go on your own.  

Or you can. You can come with me. I go 2 or 3  times a week, so why not to be a bit of fun.

So yeah, I think I'll give it a go or I think  I'll give it a try. So you're going to do it.  

You're going to accept the advice. Yeah. You know  I hadn't thought of that. It that actually makes  

a lot of sense. I hadn't thought of that. Yeah.  I think I'll sit down and talk to them about it.

So what what can happen? All you can say  is no or is not interested. So. Yeah,  

I hadn't thought of that. I think I'll ask him  if I can sit down with him at the end of the  

week or next week when he comes back from  holidays. I hadn't thought of that. Next,  

well, it's worth a try. So  yeah, this is a good response.

When somebody gives you some advice, you might  not... You're not sure it will actually work.  

But you know what? It's worth a try. Again nothing  ventured, nothing gained. If you don't try, you  

won't know. Yeah, if you're not in you can't win  some of these classics. Yeah. But. So it's worth  

a try. It has to be worth a try because things  are not going to get any better the way they are.

So we have to try something. So yeah,  it's worth a try. Oh that's a, that's a,  

that's a good idea. Or if it's even better. Oh  that's a great idea. Wow. I've been racking my  

brains trying to come up with something. And  here it is. You just give them something to

me on a plate. So, like, I  really appreciate your advice.

That's a good or that's a great idea. So  really positive responses to somebody's  

advice. That's a thought. That's an idea.  I'll give it a go. I'll give it a try. I  

hadn't thought about that. Oh, it's worth a  try. Yeah, it must be. It's worth a try. Oh,  

that's a good a that's a great idea. Okay, so  as I said, positive responses are of course,  

the opposite of positive is  always negative, is it not.

Yeah. And there are people who will  not take advice no matter what you say,  

no matter how good it might be. They just want to  do what they want to do. So here are some negative  

responses to the advice that you might give. yeah.  Look, that's easier said than done. I mean, it's  

okay for you to sit there and say I should go and  talk to the boss, but, you know, you don't know.

My boss is impossible to talk to. He's he's  not going to listen, even if I do sit down  

with him. So. Yeah, thanks, but it's easier  said than done. Okay. Negative. Next. Well,  

that's all very well, but I'm  not sure that could work. Well,  

how do you know if you don't? At  one. Not. What if it doesn't work?

Well, of course it might work.  But if somebody is negative,  

the low is. Look at the negative one. What? What  if it doesn't work? Yeah, I'm. I'm not sure that  

it could work. And then when will I. Where will  I be. Next piece of negative response. Well,  

you have a point I think I appreciate your  advice, but. And there's always a but.

Yeah. Yeah. You have a point. Yes.  I can see where you're coming from.  

Yeah. And yeah I appreciate I really  do I appreciate your advice. But you  

know what? I think I'm just going to sit on  it for a little while. Of course you are.  

Yeah. Because that sort of person never  takes advice. So. Yeah, you have a point.

I appreciate your advice, but. Okay. Next. That's  an interesting opinion, but I prefer to do it my  

way. I did it my way. Okay, so that's the classic.  Yeah. You spend 20 minutes or whatever it is,  

given your what you think is really good advice  to your friend, family member or colleague and  

then at the end to say, yeah, yeah, yeah,  that's that's an interesting opinion.

Yeah. But I'm going to try it this way. I'm going  to do it my way. Okay. Well thanks for the advice.  

But that's I couldn't do that. That's that's not  in line with my values. What. Yeah. But you want  

to get this problem solved. Yeah, but I don't  want to do it that way. I want to do it this way.

Okay? Or I want to do it in a way that's above  board and that's very clear. Okay, but you asked  

me for advice and that's what I'm recommending.  Yeah, I know, but that's not actually in line with  

my values. Whatever that might be. Yeah, maybe  you have high moral values and you're not prepared  

to do something even a little bit, bending the  rules, which can often get around the problem.

So if you give somebody some advice and they  come back with, well, yeah, it's not actually  

in line with my values. Well, I suppose you  just have to respect that point of view. Now,  

if somebody really, really gets annoyed or  really gets angry and perhaps they just don't  

want to listen to advice, or maybe they're fed  up with all the advice you're giving to them.

Or maybe you're the sort of person  that continuously gives them advice,  

even when they don't want it. You might  get a very sharp response like, Well,  

you know what? You can keep your advice  to yourself. What am I asking you for? It  

never worked for you. Why are you telling me?  Yeah, you can keep your advice to yourself now.

Somebody could be really, really rude  and you might get something like, well,  

you know what you can do with your advice? You  can stick it where the sun don't shine. Yeah,  

that might not be the response you  want to get, but it certainly could  

be something that somebody is thinking about.  I wouldn't suggest you give that to the boss,  

or you give it to even to your your partner,  because they might not be so appreciative of it.

Yeah. But it is a response that you might get.  Well, you know what you can keep your advice  

to yourself. Okay. So there the negative  responses. That's easier said than done.  

Of course it is. That's all very well, but I'm not  sure that could work. You know if you don't try,  

well, you have a point. I appreciate your  advice, but and there's always a about.

That's an interesting opinion. But, you know,  I think I'm going to do it my way. That's not  

actually in line with my values. So thanks, but  no thanks. Keep your advice to yourself. Keep it.  

Okay. All right. So all about giving advice, all  about the responses that somebody might give you  

either positively or negatively. And that's that's  a there's always two sides to to every story.

So that's all useful phrases useful  English phrases for giving advice.  

So read them listen to them, practice  them and see those which of those you  

can use and which of those you, you  can put into practice yourself. Okay.

As always, thanks for listening. I enjoyed  

your company. Harry’s signing  off and join me again soon.